This invention is directed to an apparatus and method for facilitating the self-application of liquid treatment material to an eye and, in particular, to an apparatus that effects a reorientation of the line of sight to simplify and faciltate self-application of ocular treatment or care material.
Frequently, the elderly are the recipients of ocular treatment. In general, the elderly may have poor near vision and may also suffer from tremors and finger arthritis. For this reason, when liquid medicament must be applied to the eyes of an elderly individual, it generally must be applied by a third party in 70% of all patients according to a KASS study. For that reason, such treatments often have a rather low rate of compliance despite the importance of treating eye disease with regular treatments of medication.
Self-administration of eye medicine is generally difficult or improperly administered because the patient is required to place drops of liquid medicine on the eye with accuracy and delicacy. A major difficulty is that when looking in a mirror, it is only possible to apply eye drops in the vicinity of the cornea which is the most sensitive part of the eye. An additional drawback is that when liquid is placed in the vicinity of the cornea, it is quickly eliminated through the lacrimal duct with a corresponding lack of effectiveness of the administered drug.
To eliminate the inadequacies of the conventional ocular treatment it is desirable to administer ocular treatment material in a way that the administered medication will remain in the eye and that the application is not unnecessarily unpleasant for the patient.